Spring and Summer Home Maintenance
In order to prevent structural damage, save energy and keep your Sedona home running properly in every way, it's important to complete certain home maintenance tasks each season.
After winter is the perfect time to get outside and do a current and fresh inspection of your whole house. Check all major exterior systems such as roof, siding, gutters and drainage to see that they're in good shape and working properly.
Gutters and Drainage. Debris can accumulate of the winter. The weight of such debris can bend and damage areas where water has been diverted onto the roof or siding. Most repairs are easy enough to do yourself such as adjusting or reattaching brackets, hammering out bent areas and replacing damaged sections if and when necessary.
When checking gutters and drainage, it's also a good time to walk around the house and make sure the soil slopes away from your home's foundation at a rate of at least six vertical inches over the first 10 feet. Standing water or mushy areas are a sign you may need to re-grade. Be sure to determine whether your problem is improper sloping or gutter overflow. If you're stumped, ask a home inspector for around $80-$100/hr.
Check the Roof and Chimney for Winter Damage. If you had a rough winter, shingles may need replaced. Also look for loose chimney bricks and mortar. Inside the house, check skylights for discoloration which may indicate water leakage.
Check the Siding for Water Damage. Look for loose or rotting boards and replace them. Also, inspect where siding meets doors and windows for any gaps in the caulk. Additionally, make sure your house number hasn't been damaged and is clean so that it's easily visible to emergency personnel.
Take Care of Your Air Conditioning. Have a service come out and do a Spring tune up on your air conditioning to prepare for the summer. Also make sure your air filters are changed and vacuum out your floor registers.
Inspect Outdoor Play Areas for your Kids. Swingsets can get damage over winter. Tighten bolts and make sure things are still working properly and safe. Check for any sharp edges or splinters sticking up and clean off any mold growth.
Check your GFCIs. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) protect you from deadly electrical shocks. These are the outlets you find in usually your bathroom, laundry room and kitchen with two buttons in the middle (test and reset).
To test them, plug a small appliance into each of your GFCIs. Press the test button, which should click and shut off the appliance. When you press reset, it should come back on. If the appliance doesn't shut off when you press the test button, the GFCI may need replaced.
Visit your Attic. Pick a day when it's raining and go check for visible leaks, water stains, discolored insulation and mold. If you see some, call a handyman for repairs.
Wash your Windows. This can be done near the end of summer when it's still nice weather. Cleaning your windows allows for more solar energy to enter the house in the coming colder months.
See Also:
-April and May Events for Sedona
-Seeing Red While Staying in the Black
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